Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Northeastern Texas

Texas, Northeastern

Gaskin Aux AAF #2 (revised 9/14/06) - (Original) Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (revised 9/4/07) - Wallace Airfield (revised 12/28/05)

____________________________________________________

Wallace Airfield, Terrell, TX

32.74 North / 96.32 West (East of Dallas, TX)

Wallace Airfield, as depicted on the February 1943 Dallas Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

The date of establishment of this small general aviation field has not been determined.

Barbara Wallace Simandl reported, “I am the granddaughter of one of the prior owners of the Wallace airport.

The information I have heard is that my father, James Wallace, and one or two of his brothers ran this airport.

I believe it was in existence prior to 1943 but am not sure.”

No airfield at this location was depicted on the September 1942 Dallas Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The earliest depiction of Wallace Airfield which has been located

was on the February 1943 Dallas Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Wallace as a commercial/municipal field.

The 1963 USGS topo map depicted “Wallace Airfield”

as having a single unpaved northwest/southeast runway.

Steve Harkins recalled, “I remember driving past there as a kid in the 1960s,

and seeing airplanes taking off & landing.”

The 1965 DFW Sectional Chart described Wallace Airfield as having a single 2,365' turf runway.

John Criswell recalled, “It had a short strip with a few T-hangars on the Northeast side.

The approach from the South had to be pretty steep

because of a drive-in theater located just across Highway 80

which cut across the threshold of the runway.

I got my ticket in 1965 at Dallas Redbird and remember one of my solo flights included a quick stop at Terrell.

The last time I was there, now many years ago, there was still a Stinson Voyager on the field, but not much else.

A strange being lived in a small travel trailer alongside the open-air hangars

and he used to just sit in a beat-up folding lawn chair in the shade watching.”

The 1967 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Brad Stanford)

depicted Wallace Airfield as consisting of a single 2,365' turf Runway 15/33.

The manager was listed as Matthew Wallace.

The airfield configuration was unchanged in the 1970 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Ray Brindle).

The July 1983 Dallas-Ft Worth Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

still depicted Wallace as a public-use airfield,

with a 3,500' unpaved runway.

At some point between 1983-85, Wallace apparently became a private airfield,

as that is how it was depicted on the July 1985 Dallas-Ft Worth Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

The runway was still depicted on the 1986 USGS topo map,

but it was labeled simply as “Landing Strip”, which may have indicated that the field had closed by that point.

Wallace Airfield was definitely closed by 1987,

as it was no longer depicted at all on the July 1987 CG-20 World Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The area of the former runway was still clear on the 1995 USGS aerial photo,

but the site was otherwise unrecognizable as a former airport.

A Spring 2004 photo by Joe Hancock, looking north from Route 80 at the former Wallace hangar.

Joe observed, “I assume this old rusty hangar is about all that's left of it.

The old hangar used to have a sign reading 'Wallace Airfield, Matthew Wallace owner'.

I saw it many times passing on Highway 80.”

Steve Harkins reported in 2006, “The now-rusty main hangar building at the old Wallace Airfield

is still standing as of this past week.”

A circa 2006 aerial photo still showed the hangar standing.

However, a circa 2006-08 photo showed that the hangar had been removed.

The runway area still remained clear.

The site of Wallace Airfield is located northeast of the intersection of Route 80 & Route 237.

___________________________________________________

(Original) Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport, Mount Pleasant, TX

33.13 North / 94.98 West (East of Dallas, TX)

Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport, as depicted in the 1963 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Steve Cruse).

The date of construction of this former municipal airport is unknown.

It was apparently originally known as "Hoffman" Airfield,

as that is how it was labeled on the 1949 Shreveport Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

It was apparently renamed Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport at some point between 1949-62,

as that is how it was listed in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory.

It was described as having 2 asphalt runways (4,000' 17/35 & 3,000' 3/21),

and the operator was listed as the William Phinney Flying Service.

The 1963 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Steve Cruse)

depicted the field with somewhat more "conservative" runway lengths:

a 3,800' asphalt Runway 17/35 & a 2,600' oiled Runway 3/21.

An apron sat on the northeast corner of the field, with several small hangars.

The manager was listed as William Pinney, of the William Phinney Flying Service.

The airfield configuration was unchanged in the 1967 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Brad Stanford),

but the manager was listed as Harrold Huneycutt.

The 1980 USGS topo map depicted the Mt Pleasant Municipal Airport as having 2 paved runways,

with a ramp with several hangars on the northeast side of the field.

The airfield configuration was unchanged in the 1985 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Steve Cruse),

but the manager was listed as J.D. Roper.

USGS aerial photo 1997, while the field was still open.

The original airport was closed in 2003

when it was replaced by a newly-built Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport to the east.

According to Mark Bergee, "I called over to the Mount Pleasant City Manager

and he told me that the old airport was sold to a private party for commercial development.

Unfortunately… there was a stipulation in the sale that disallows any aviation activity at the old airfield."

A circa 2006 aerial view looking east at the hangars which remain standing at the site of the original Mt Pleasant Municipal Airport.

A circa 2006 aerial view looking south at the former runway & hangars at the site of the original Mt Pleasant Municipal Airport,

now used for storage of a large number of vehicles & other unidentified items.

The site of the original Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport is located west of the intersection of Route 271 & Airport Road,

appropriately enough.

___________________________________________________

Gaskin Auxiliary Army Airfield #2, Sherman, TX

33.51 North / 96.76 West (North of Dallas, TX)

"Gaskin AF", as depicted on the 1957 Dallas Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

This 594 acre field was built during WW2 as one of 5 satellite fields for Perrin AAF (16 miles northeast),

which conducted basic flight training.

It was kept on inactive status after the end of WW2,

but was reportedly reactivated from 1948-1952 as Gaskin Air Force Auxiliary Field.

Strangely, "Gaskin AF" was depicted as an active airfield on 1957 Dallas Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),

but it was not listed among active airfields on the chart's Aerodromes table,

so it is not clear if it was indeed still open in 1957.

The chart described the field as having 2 paved runways, with the longest being 4,000'.

Gaskin was definitely abandoned by 1964,

as it was not depicted at all (even as an abandoned airfield)

on the 1964 DFW Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ross Richardson).

The remains of the airfield were not depicted at all on recent USGS topo maps.

As seen in the 1995 USGS aerial photo, the pavement had been broken up & the land returned to farming,

but the outlines of the 2 runways were still clearly recognizable.

along with a connecting taxiway at the south end.

The outline of a ramp area to the west of the runways was also perceptible.

According to Bo Boggs, "There apparently was an east/west runway at one time.

The west end terminates in the tank at the south end of the north/south runway.

If you look at the aerial photo, you can see its remains also.

It is much more visible live as there was some fill required to raise the east end of it."

Ross Richardson said in 2003, "I came across Gaskin quite by accident.

I was flying from Sherman to Denton & flew over this pasture that sure looked like the photo you provide in your website.

I talked to some long time pilots in the area and they confirmed that it was a AAF field.

I wonder if it could be refurbished into a residential airpark. Hmmmm."

Bo Boggs reported in 2003, "I have been observing it for 4 years & each year it becomes less distinct.

In another 5 years, it may be invisible."

A circa 2006 aerial view looking north at the remains of the Gaskin airfield,

showing the outline still barely recognizable of the 2 runways & the connecting taxiway.

Southwest Airlines pilot Will Ware reported that the Gaskin airfield was still recognizable from the air, as of 2007.

____________________________________________________

Home